Heater booster

[House Frau]

Long story short, my mother in-law’s neighbor, who has become just as much of a of a pain in the *** as my mother in-law, is looking into a walk in tub. I replaced her water heater last year just a 40 gallon electric. Any of you guys have any experience with water heater boosters, either the in line mixing valve kind or the expensive ones that are wired in like a mini tankless? If she gets this tub the hot water supply problem is on the homeowner (meaning my dumb ***) they just throw the tub in.

 

[alcorelli]

Least expensive would most likely be to twin in another heater. Probably still only fill it once though.
A tankless would eliminate the need for the current heater, but that brings it's own further issues.
Is there natural gas or propane?
A tankless electric will require a huge electrical supply.
Gas will need venting, gas lines, etc.
Let's not even bring up permits.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Bretny]

Tankless are rated to a specific temp rise/gpm. Usualy not up to the task of filling a tub.

Why dont you just raise the temp of the current water heater?

 

[Jackfre]

What is the volume of the tub? Start there and see what you have. Do a flow test on the current set-up. The problem with a water heater with a poor recovery is that you take a lot of short baths. The tub absorbs heat, the atmosphere, etc. and you have no hot water to replace it. Does the proposed tub have a re-heat capability? If you sit in a bathtub over 105* you are no longer bathing, you are par-boiling.

 

[CombatNinja]

I am not understanding why you need an additional water heater. By the time an old lady takes a bath, she moves so slowly that she will have hot water for whatever else she needs by the time she gets to it. If it is an issue, the easiest and least expensive pathway for your success is simply to yank that 40-gallon and replace with something larger.

Are you the old lady's landlord? Tell her to pound sand and you don't want her putting a walk-in tub in your house. It will kill resale value. Then she will be forced to move and you win.

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

Would it be possible to add a second electric water heater in series? Set the second thermostat 5* less than the first. One heats all the time, and only if it can't keep up will the second one kick in. You would have a second 40 gallons already up to temperature, since during no use they would both maintain the water at temperature.

 

[House Frau]

What is the volume of the tub? Start there and see what you have. Do a flow test on the current set-up. The problem with a water heater with a poor recovery is that you take a lot of short baths. The tub absorbs heat, the atmosphere, etc. and you have no hot water to replace it. Does the proposed tub have a re-heat capability? If you sit in a bathtub over 105* you are no longer bathing, you are par-boiling.

Tub volume 75 gallons less whatever displacement for her fat carcass, flow on current set up with old moen is 5 gpm, no reheat on tub just heated seat and back.

 

[House Frau]

Would it be possible to add a second electric water heater in series? Set the second thermostat 5* less than the first. One heats all the time, and only if it can't keep up will the second one kick in. You would have a second 40 gallons already up to temperature, since during no use they would both maintain the water at temperature.

No room

 

[House Frau]

I am not understanding why you need an additional water heater. By the time an old lady takes a bath, she moves so slowly that she will have hot water for whatever else she needs by the time she gets to it. If it is an issue, the easiest and least expensive pathway for your success is simply to yank that 40-gallon and replace with something larger.

Are you the old lady's landlord? Tell her to pound sand and you don't want her putting a walk-in tub in your house. It will kill resale value. Then she will be forced to move and you win.

Not my house just my mother in laws friend that I am stuck doing **** for to keep them off my ***.

 

[The Cobbler]

not quite sure what your question is, but if it is heater capacity, then how about adding a mixing valve ( to limit the out temperature) and raise the temperature of the tank?

 

[House Frau]

Yeah I was thinking that and wondering if anybody has had any success with those things.

 

[The Cobbler]

they work as intended. they mix cold water with the hot so no worries about scalding. you adjust the out temp as required and they have a tamper resistant cover

 

[samss]

https://www.hatcocorp.com/en/equipment/water-heaters

just kiddin

Can you swap the tank elements for higher wattage, which means larger electric service?

 

[House Frau]

https://www.hatcocorp.com/en/equipment/water-heaters

just kiddin

Can you swap the tank elements for higher wattage, which means larger electric service?

I really don’t want to mess with the internals on the heater due to warranty issues.

 

[Mattlt]

they work as intended. they mix cold water with the hot so no worries about scalding. you adjust the out temp as required and they have a tamper resistant cover

I use a mixing valve on mine as I have an outdoor wood boiler that heats our domestic hot water via a sidearm heat exchanger. The temperature of the water in the water heater is about ~180° Mixing valve takes it down to a tolerable level by adding some cold water into the hot coming out of the tank.

I thought I had a picture on my computer but I can't locate it right now.

Gotta say, 5 people in the house (3 teenagers who like to take long showers) and we rarely run out of hot water.

 

[Hobbit]

Wait until the tub is installed and see first if the 40 gal is still sufficient before solving a problem that hasn't been determined yet.